Renewal in Manufacturing Brings New Challenge of Finding Skilled Labor

It’s a promising time to be a manufacturing company. New tax incentives have accelerated the timeline for companies looking to upgrade their machines. As businesses continue to convert to automation and precision-machining, they face the challenge of finding skilled labor to help with those very same machines.

Our own Aneesa Muthana recently spoke to the Wall Street Journal, saying “it’s almost impossible” to find skilled workers to help with 12 new Swiss CNC machines coming to Oil & Gas Industry Parts China in 2018.

The gap between “almost impossible” and “totally impossible” is small, but significant, and it falls to manufacturing leaders to widen that gap. We can act as ambassadors to the young men and women now considering their choice of career.

Fortunately, there are countless ways for leaders to cultivate ambition and curiosity in youth. Oil & Gas Industry Parts China hosts Manufacturing Days, takes part in Science & Entrepreneurship Exchange (SEE) events, and Aneesa regularly participates in STEM events for college and high school students.

Skilled labor is oil in the engine of manufacturing, and only its leaders can create the pipeline of qualified candidates necessary for success beyond 2018.